|
Olmert must resign and end his 'sorry decline', says US expert
 (AKI) - Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, should resign and allow his Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, to end the "sorry decline" of his government and its many scandals, a leading US expert said on Thursday.Bruce Riedel is a former adviser to three US presidents and now senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington. In an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI), Riedel welcomed Livni's election as leader of the ruling Kadima party. "Livni's election should help bring to an end the sorry decline of the Olmert government and its many scandals," Riedel told AKI. "Olmert should now do the honourable thing and leave and let her take up the office." Tzipi Livni is attempting to form a new government after her election as leader of Olmert's party. She has 42 days to form a coalition and replace him as prime minister. "Livni is a former Mossad officer who has grown in office and demonstrated a strong commitment to negotiations with the Palestinians," said Riedel. "But she inherits a weak government with an unstable coalition held together only by fear of the (rival) Likud party and the next election." Riedel, a former CIA officer, also warned her election was unlikely to advance Middle East peace in the short term. "No real progress will come in the Middle East peace process until a new American President is elected who is committed to advance the process with direct presidential leadership," he warned. Posted by: Fred 2008-09-19 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=250375 |